West poll shows him leading Klein after uproar over Social Security number

A day after Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein’s campaign released a poll showing Klein with a 48-to-40 percent lead over Republican challenger Allen West, the West camp said its own more recent polling gives West a 48-to-42 percent lead over the incumbent.

The “brushfire” poll of 300 likely voters by Wilson Research Strategies was taken Monday through Wednesday and has a high margin of error (5.7 percent). The poll comes after the Florida Democratic Party generated national uproar by revealing West’s Social Security number in an attack mailer.

A polling memo says West leads 52-36 among independents. The poll finds Klein is viewed favorably by 41 percent of voters and unfavorably by 38 percent. West is viewed favorably by 39 percent and unfavorably by 27 percent.